When considering the preservation of your long-term food storage, it is important to think about the type of emergency situation you are likely to face. In the case of residing in an earthquake-prone area, it would be advisable to avoid storing glass jars on a high shelf in your pantry. Similarly, if you live in a flood-prone region, it would not be wise to store your food supply in cardboard boxes on the ground floor. Lastly, if there is a possibility of needing to evacuate, it would be prudent to steer clear of heavy cans.
After selecting a suitable location for storing your food, the next step is to determine the items that will be placed inside. If your children are of an appropriate age, involve them in this planning phase.
Water
While protein bars and fancy freeze-dried foods may make you feel more ready, it’s important not to overlook the most crucial necessity: water. Though you can go without food for over three weeks, having access to clean drinking water is imperative for surviving beyond just a few days.
To ensure you have enough water, store a minimum of one gallon per person every day. Remember you won’t consume the entire gallon daily as you will also need water for household chores and preparing food. For storage, it is recommended to use opaque containers and place them in a shaded area to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Water should be stored in a cool, dark location, such as the back of a pantry.
While slight temperature changes are acceptable, it is advised to avoid placing water storage containers on cement surfaces. Plastic has the ability to absorb odors and chemicals, making it undesirable to consume any substances that might be present on your garage floor.
The Aqua-Tainer, which is a large water container, has the capacity to hold multiple gallons and is highly practical for storing purposes. Its handle facilitates effortless mobility in case of an evacuation, and the attached spigot can effectively substitute for your normal kitchen faucet.
Food
After you have determined the appropriate amount of water you have stored, it is advisable to devise a strategy for your food reserves. Although purchasing grains such as wheat, rice, and oats in large quantities may appear attractive due to their affordability, it is preferable to opt for this approach only if you are skilled in preparing them.
It is important to have knowledge on how to prepare a five-gallon bucket of wheat as you wouldn’t want to be unprepared during an emergency situation.
When choosing snacks and recipes, consider ones that you and your family already like. Additionally, ask yourself these questions: Can it be stored without refrigeration? Can it be consumed without cooking? Is it simple to prepare? Remember, you can also replace many fresh ingredients with shelf-stable alternatives, such as powdered milk or canned meat.
If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then include it in your emergency food storage inventory. Familiar foods are a great starting point during stressful emergencies, as minimizing unexpected factors is crucial.
When making purchasing decisions, consider dietary requirements and aim for a proper mix of carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, protein, and dairy. Take into account any dietary restrictions that you or your family members may have to avoid any illness during emergencies. Additionally, ensure to plan for the food needs of babies and pets.
If you are still uncertain about which foods are suitable for emergency food storage, here are a few additional suggestions.
Easy grab-and-go foods:
- Granola bars
- Canned fruit
- Beef jerky and dried meat
- Cereal
- Crackers
- Peanut butter
- Protein bars
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Trail mix
- Juice
- Sports drinks
Foods for hot meals:
- Oatmeal
- Dried pasta
- Rice
- Canned meat (chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon)
- Canned soup
- Canned vegetables
- Canned beans
- Canned chili
- Dried soup mix
In the event of a natural disaster, it is also possible to purchase fresh foods that do not require refrigeration, such as apples, bananas, citrus fruits, and avocados.
Remember to store sauces such as salad dressing, barbecue sauce, and ketchup in smaller containers to maintain their flavor, as they cannot be refrigerated once opened. Additionally, it is beneficial to have extra salt, pepper, spices, honey, and sugar readily available.
If you intend to cook using the supplies in your food storage, make sure to stock up on vegetable oil, olive oil, or cooking spray. This will help you avoid any difficulties. Furthermore, remember to have a can opener and scissors readily available to open challenging packages.
Dehydrated food
If you anticipate the need to evacuate, dehydrated food is an excellent choice due to its lightweight nature and the wide range of enjoyable freeze-dried meals on offer. However, it is crucial to remember to include additional water in your emergency provisions to rehydrate the food.
Cooking
While it is possible to consume food directly from a can without heating it, it may not be ideal to solely rely on cold food during an extended crisis. Therefore, it is necessary to devise a cooking strategy. Outdoor cooking options such as propane stoves, grills, and campfires are a practical means of cooking, although they are reliant on favorable weather conditions.
It is of utmost importance to never use an outdoor cooking device indoors due to the potential danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you need to cook indoors, it is best to use a fireplace. It would be ideal if your emergency food supply consists of meals that require warming up rather than cooking. To warm your food, you have the option of using a fondue pot, chafing dish, or a tray heated by candles. A disposable chafing dish set that is affordable can be used for convenient and speedy cleanup.
To ensure the removal of any remaining germs or bacteria, thoroughly wash the can before cooking canned food. Additionally, it is important to keep the can open while cooking, allowing steam to be released.
If there is cooking happening, cleaning must also be done. It is important to keep both your cooking utensils and eating utensils clean. Make sure to also keep an extra box of garbage bags with your food storage so that you can keep your living area clean and get rid of empty containers and leftover food, preferably outdoors.
Food safety
In the midst of regular life, emergencies often arise unexpectedly, so it’s likely that you may have perishable food stored in your fridge and freezer that could potentially remain edible even in case of a power outage. Naturally, you would want to prioritize consuming that food, but how can you determine its freshness?
In order to prepare for a potential disaster, freeze a jar of water and place a coin on the surface of the ice. When confronted with a power outage of uncertain duration, examine the position of the coin within the jar. If the coin remains in its original position, this indicates that the ice remained frozen, implying that your food also stayed frozen. Conversely, if the coin is at the bottom of the jar, even if the water has re-frozen, it signifies that the power outage was lengthy enough for the water to melt. Consequently, your food has thawed and may not be safe for consumption.
If you know the time when the power went out, you should set a timer for four hours from that moment. This is the amount of time your fridge will remain sufficiently cold to preserve your food, provided you do not open it. If you are unsure about the time, you can check the thermometer in your refrigerator. The thermometer will continue to function even without electricity, and as long as it shows a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the food is safe for consumption. It is advisable to minimize opening the fridge in order to retain the cold air, and you can also store the food closer together to extend its cooling duration.
It is wise to be aware of where to purchase dry ice in the event of a power outage, as a quantity of 25 pounds of dry ice can maintain the refrigeration needed to preserve food for a duration of two to four days. Simply ensure the utilization of sturdy gloves when working with dry ice, and guarantee adequate ventilation in your vehicle while transporting it.
Emergency food safety extends beyond perishable items in your fridge and freezer. Nonperishable food, despite its name, can also spoil, which can be harmful if consumed carelessly. It is important to avoid consuming food from cans that show signs of damage such as rust, swelling, or dents, even if the contents appear normal. To prevent rodents and other pests from contaminating your food, store all your food in containers that are tightly sealed. After opening, dry canned food remains safe for consumption for a period of only 10–15 days.
If your home has been affected by a flood, it is necessary to discard everything that has been in contact with floodwaters, excluding undamaged commercially-canned food. However, prior to consuming anything from these cans, it is important to disinfect them thoroughly by washing with warm water and soap. Then, they can either be boiled for two minutes or sanitized with a bleach and water solution for fifteen minutes. It is advisable to consume the food from these cans as soon as possible.
It is important to consider that fires can present food safety risks due to the potential contamination of stored food with hazardous fumes. Therefore, in the event of a fire, it is advisable to properly dispose of any food that may have been exposed to these risks.
The most reliable guideline for food safety would be to discard any food that may be dubious, as it is preferable to eliminate the risk of food poisoning rather than risking hunger. Therefore, whenever there is uncertainty about the quality or safety of the food, it is always advisable to err on the side of caution and dispose of it.
What to look for when shopping
It is worth comprehending the fundamental distinctions between suitable and unsuitable items for your prepper pantry, even though there is a specific food list provided. If you only purchase items from the specified list, you will be adequately prepared. Enhancing your understanding allows for greater customization or improvisation.
Stay true to the original text and maintain the same meaning, while not introducing new information or excluding any current information.
- Long shelf life. Even though you’re not trying to match the same kind of 20-30 year shelf life of freeze-dried food, or the 5-8 year shelf life of MREs, you still want to be smart about picking durable products. Try to avoid anything that doesn’t last at least a year.
- Easy to store. Durable packaging, like a can or box, is much better than the kind of packaging you’d find with potato chips. Food that needs to be cold/frozen isn’t automatically disqualified, but be careful about relying on electricity too much.
- Easy to prepare. In the kind of emergency where you’re relying on this food, you might not have utilities or other stuff that makes cooking easier. So we favor foods that can be eaten as-is, only need basic reheating or rehydrating, or are easy to mix and match with other ingredients.
- Nutritional. Not everything needs to be “healthy,” and while mental/emotional comforts are valuable in a crisis, you don’t want to make things worse by trying to live off junk food — including Nuclear Twinkies.
- Calorie density. Some food (or how it’s packaged) gives you more caloric bang-per-square-foot than others, and limited space is often your biggest problem when building up a pantry.
- Dietary restrictions. An emergency isn’t the time to be picky, but it’s okay to avoid foods that your family universally hates, are discouraged by your faith, or someone has a dietary problem with (eg. lactose or gluten.)
There’s a common belief when it comes to healthy grocery shopping: the advice is to shop in the outer aisles where fresh meat and produce are typically found, and avoid the inner aisles where processed, sugary foods are located. However, when shopping for preps, it is advised to do the opposite and go for the inner aisles where shelf-stable foods are usually stocked.
When thinking in a systematic manner, it is advisable to skip the fresh items displayed around the store perimeter and instead focus on the interior aisles where the best items are usually found.
Apart from budget, lack of space is also frequently a significant constraint when you are establishing your own food reserves at home. Therefore, the objective is to maximize the amount of nutrition that can be accommodated in the available space. While the majority of the food items in this inventory are already compact (for example, a bag of rice), even a bag of pasta that contains equal parts food and air can accumulate over time.
The size of a 20-pound bag of pinto beans is approximately equal to that of a large bag of potato chips. In terms of nutritional content, one cup of chips contains approximately 137 calories, 9.4 grams of fat, 12.4 grams of carbs, and 1.6 grams of protein. In comparison, a cup of pinto beans provides 240 calories, 1 gram of fat, 44 grams of carbs, and 16 grams of protein. Additionally, it should be noted that the bag of chips contains a significant amount of air.
When considering beans, it is useful to think about factors such as how easy they are to prepare, their nutritional value and density, as well as their versatility. For instance, we advise having both dry and canned beans because dry beans have a longer shelf life, while canned beans can be consumed directly from the can without requiring any energy for heating.
USAID recommends pairing beans with grains in emergencies not only for taste and variety, but also because it is a powerful combination that enhances your prepping skills.
In most parts of Africa, Central and South America, and Asia, beans are consumed as a cost-effective protein source. They offer a beneficial combination of fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants. When paired with a grain, beans contribute complementary amino acids to form a wholesome protein meal.
Make sure you are ready. Do not allow yourself to become a target.
What it means to be shelf-stable or non-perishable
To build up your pantry easily, you can purchase a small excess of groceries during your regular shopping trips and adhere to the straightforward yet effective First In First Out technique. The essential aspect of the FIFO method is utilizing the time available before the food reaches its expiration date.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the easier and better your prepping will be if the food lasts longer. This definition is based on the term “shelf-stable.”
The term “shelf stable” refers to foods that can be stored safely at room temperature. These non-perishable products include country hams, canned and bottled foods, rice, pasta, flour, sugar, spices, oils, and foods processed in aseptic or retort packages. They can be stored without refrigeration until they are opened. However, it is important to note that not all canned goods are shelf stable, and those that require refrigeration will be labeled as such with “Keep Refrigerated.”
It is advisable to develop the habit of checking the expiration dates while shopping in order to avoid getting products that have already wasted a significant portion of their shelf life or, worse, have already expired.
You may be pondering whether the expiration date imprinted on a package is indeed the point at which the food becomes inedible. In the field of medicine, for instance, the “expiration” date typically indicates a slight decrease in the effectiveness of the medicine – it does not imply that the medicine is devoid of value or harmful.
There exist five factors that can negatively affect the length of time a product can be stored on a shelf.
- Heat
- Light
- Moisture
- Pests
- Oxygen
For example, an unopened bag of rice will not last as long in a garden shed as it will in your home. The longer your foods will last depends on how much you can reduce these factors.
When it comes to repackaging dry goods at home, the most effective method for storage involves using mylar bags in conjunction with oxygen absorbers. These should then be stored in sealed buckets, which are considered to be the optimal solution.
Shelf-stable foods have a longer lifespan than anticipated. Certain canned goods have a “best by” date set within two years of production, but they can remain safe to consume for an even longer duration if the packaging remains intact, according to the USDA.
Most shelf-stable foods can be stored for an unlimited amount of time. Specifically, canned goods can remain edible for several years, provided that the can is not rusted, dented, or swollen. Similarly, packaged foods like cereal, pasta, and cookies can still be consumed after the ‘best by’ date, although they might eventually lose their freshness or acquire an unpleasant taste.
In addition, a caution regarding the risk of botulism, which is specifically associated with canned foods, is also included.
It is important to never use food from containers that display possible “botulism” warnings, such as leaking, bulging, or badly dented cans, cracked jars or jars with loose or bulging lids, canned food with a foul odor, or any container that spurts liquid when opening. Even a tiny amount of botulinum toxin can be extremely dangerous. Can linings may change color or corrode when exposed to high-acid foods like tomatoes or pineapple. However, if the can is in good condition, the contents should be safe to consume, although the taste, texture, and nutritional value of the food may decrease over time. It is advisable to consume home canned foods within 1 year.
Food to avoid or store sparingly
There are certain items that may appear to be stable on the shelf but, in reality, have shorter shelf lives. It is recommended to avoid these items.
- Brown sugar. There are conflicting reports on brown sugar. Some authorities, like the LDS Church, caution against storing it, while DoesItGoBad.com says it lasts a long time. In our experience, it won’t go bad but it will harden over time. You can use the sugar if you’re able to break it up. Brown sugar is an important ingredient in a lot of recipes, so it’s good to have some on hand, but we wouldn’t fill a bucket with it.
- Brown rice. While white rice can last for decades, brown rice has an oily layer that limits its shelf life to 6-12 months. It also takes longer to cook, which means more fuel used.
- Whole wheat flour. Just as with brown rice, whole wheat flour does not last as long as white flour due to its higher fat content. If you prefer whole wheat flour, look into milling your own wheat berries since the berries will last much longer than the flour.
- Beef jerky. Besides being expensive, it usually only lasts a year or two.
- Granola. Granola is a great hiking food, but it only lasts about six months.
- Nuts. Packed with nutrition and reasonably shelf stable, but be aware their high fat content limits their shelf life.
